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Garden pests can be a nuisance, but there are ways to deal with them effectively. Here are the 6 most common garden pests and how to handle them:
1. Aphids: These tiny insects can quickly multiply and damage plants. Use insecticidal soap or a strong stream of water to remove them from leaves.
2. Slugs and Snails: These slimy creatures can munch on plant leaves and fruits. Set up beer traps or sprinkle diatomaceous earth around plants to deter them.
3. Caterpillars: These hungry larvae can devour whole plants. Handpick them off or use organic insecticides like Bacillus thuringiensis.
4. Japanese Beetles: These beetles feed on foliage and flowers. Shake them off plants into a bucket of soapy water or use traps to catch them.
5. Spider Mites: These tiny pests suck plant juices and create webs. Spray plants with water regularly or use insecticidal soap to control them.
6. Deer: These large herbivores can cause extensive damage. Install fencing or use deer repellents to protect your garden.
By identifying and taking action against these common garden pests, you can keep your plants healthy and thriving.
Garden pests are a common occurrence for gardeners. Normally, they coexist with the plants in the garden without causing any problems. Sometimes, however, the population of these pests grows out of control, resulting in an infestation that can seriously harm your garden.
When this happens, it’s important to take action to protect your plants. However, it’s also crucial to protect beneficial insects such as honeybees while getting rid of harmful pests. Start with natural and safe methods to eliminate them, and only resort to chemicals as a last resort. It’s also best to focus on specific pests and plants to keep your garden healthy.
1. Aphids
Aphids are one of the most common garden pests in the United States. They are tiny insects with pear-shaped bodies that are 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. They come in different colors such as green, black, red, yellow, brown, or gray. Despite their size, they can do significant damage in large numbers by feeding on plant leaves and causing them to twist, curl, and turn yellow. Aphids can also stunt a plant’s growth.
Keep your garden free of weeds to prevent aphids. Aphids feed on weeds as much as they do on ornamental and food crops. Sowthistle and mustard are two weeds that are particularly good at sustaining aphid populations. If aphids are already present, remove them by shooting them off the plant with a stream of water from the garden hose sprayer. If the problem persists, use insecticidal soap to defeat them. Be careful not to damage your plants by reading the label directions to see which plants are sensitive to the soap.
2. Caterpillars and Cutworms
Cutworms and caterpillars are two garden pests that look similar and can cause the same type of damage. Caterpillars leave holes and damage along the edges of leaves. Some even burrow into fruits and vegetables, making them unappetizing. To prevent caterpillars, cover young plants with floating row covers. These covers keep moths and butterflies from laying eggs on your plants, preventing hatchling caterpillars from eating them. Remove the covers when your plants flower so that pollinators can reach them. Some moths lay their eggs on the ground around the base of plants, which hatch into cutworms. You can make cutworm collars using cardboard or aluminum foil to block them from climbing the stems of your plants. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth around your plants can also solve caterpillar problems.
To get rid of caterpillars or worms on your plants, you can manually remove them and drown them in soapy water. Alternatively, you can attract birds to your garden by setting up a bird feeder and birdbath. If all else fails, you can purchase Bt insecticide, which is safe for humans and pets. Japanese beetles are notorious for eating over 300 plant varieties and leaving skeletonized leaves behind. The most effective way to eliminate them is by handpicking and drowning them in soapy water or using a tarp to collect them and then dumping them in soapy water. Japanese beetle traps can also be used, but be cautious as they can attract more beetles. To prevent Japanese beetles, use a row cover during their active feeding period or apply a grub control product early in the spring. Slugs and snails can cause damage to leaves, and they can be removed by handpicking and drowning them in water or using salt to dry them out.
Slugs tend to hide from the sun during the day, seeking shelter under rocks, mulch, or any other objects in your garden. To control the slug or snail population, place small boards in your garden, and the slugs will hide underneath them during the day. You can then flip the boards over and collect the slugs. Alternatively, sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your plants or set up beer traps by sinking shallow pans into your garden and filling them with beer. The slugs will be attracted to the yeast, get stuck, and drown. You can also mix yeast in water to create a slurry and bait your traps with it. If you encounter stubborn slug or snail infestations, you can use pesticides containing iron phosphate, which is safe for humans and animals and is also safe to use on vegetables.
Whiteflies are tiny, white, triangular-shaped insects that feed aggressively on plant nectars. They can cause significant damage to plants, leaving them wilted and defoliated. To slow down whiteflies, inspect new seedlings or young plants carefully before planting and remove any leaves hosting the insects. Periodically inspect established plants and remove any whitefly-hosting leaves or stems. Plant ladybug-attracting plants to help control whitefly populations naturally, but do not buy and release insects online as it can upset the natural balance in your garden. You can also trap whiteflies by coating a yellow paper with a sticky substance and hanging it near affected plants. If all else fails, use chemical pesticides as directed, checking the label to ensure that the pesticide won’t damage the target plants. If the whiteflies persist after several applications, try a different pesticide.
Before choosing a pesticide to deal with whiteflies, it’s recommended to consult your local garden center or extension office for advice. Different areas may have varying resistance levels to certain pesticides, so it’s important to get a recommendation that is specific to your location. This can save you from choosing a chemical that may not work and potentially causing more harm than good.
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6. Thrips
Thrips are small insects that come in shades of brown and green. They are also known as thunderflies and are about as wide as a sewing needle. These sucking insects feed on the nectar of tender leaves and are attracted to light-colored leaves and flowers, which can result in silvery or splotchy-looking foliage. The bigger problem with thrips is that they often carry plant diseases and can spread them to plants as they feed.
However, controlling thrips is relatively easy. The first step is to clean up any yard waste or debris to eliminate any hiding places for thrips while you treat your garden plants. You can then use a garden hose to knock the thrips off your plants, just as you would for aphids. Afterward, hang blue or yellow sticky traps around the garden to attract and capture the thrips.
If thrips persist, you can treat your plants with insecticidal soap, but make sure your plants are not listed on the label as potentially suffering damage from being sprayed with the soap. Spray your plants twice, three days apart, or follow the label’s instructions if they vary from this recommendation. This will usually get rid of thrips.